The announcement of Dwight Howard’s retirement from the NBA went along with the latest episode of the Above the Rim podcast. However, it appears this edition with Michael Phelps was recorded before a turbulent week. Dwight and his wife, Amy Luciani have begun legal proceedings in what could be a very bitter divorce. Amid another lawsuit, Howard decided to officially walk away from the court. But in the sitdown with the Olympic legend, Howard gave a raw and emotional admission on how he’d gotten disenchanted with basketball. Shockingly, he credited Luciani for rebuilding him just moments before their divorce proceedings.

“I think we be searching for love in different aspects of our life. So, in the first part of my life, basketball was my love… It was everything to me,” the 3x DPOY told Phelps in this episode that dropped at the same time as his retirement announcement on social media.

He goes on to say, “But then I played basketball for a whole phase. I traveled the world. Did everything. But I was missing something. You know what I’m saying? So, it was my wife and being able to have a partner. Yeah. So that was kind of like the big thing is having a partner and somebody I could share my experiences with.”

Howard grew visibly reflective when discussing the isolation of superstardom, telling the fellow Superman, “Cuz it’s really when they say it’s lonely at the top. Oh, s—, it’s lonely at the top. So when you have somebody you could, like, you know, lean on, share stuff with, you know, be silly with, you want that because the industry that we in is so demanding.”

Howard’s comments indicate he had been building up to retirement long before his personal life deteriorated within a week. He stuck to the announcement timeline but it puts the connection between his NBA career and his marriage into perspective.

Dwight Howard’s retirement meets a broken marriage

For almost five years, Dwight Howard had been in professional limbo. He played overseas and in the Big3 but hadn’t stopped trying to return to the NBA. When he was voted into the Hall of Fame, he went public with his relationship with Amy Luciani. It would be the first public relationship the father of five would reveal in years.

Perhaps when he was making these comments about how much Luciani matters to him, he couldn’t have predicted how their relationship would break down. On March 7, Luciani shared a series of Instagram videos leveling major allegations on Dwight. On March 9, 2026, Howard officially filed for divorce from Luciani.

The filing followed a very dramatic year for this formal couple. A year ago, they secretly eloped but rumors of tension between them followed immediately. Along with Luciani, whose real name is Amber Rose, going on a social media detox and being quiet on DH12’s Hall of Fame festivities, things hinted at trouble in paradise. They briefly split and reconciled amid the Hall of Fame induction.

Things deteriorated within months with Luciani leveling distressing allegations against Howard. The NBA player’s also being sued by a former employee for over $40,000 in unpaid wages this week.

This personal upheaval coincides with Howard’s official retirement on March 12, a decision he claimed was forced by the league rather than his own desire to quit. “I still had more left to give! Yeah, I did play professionally for 20 years and I’m grateful… but I can’t lie, seeing these other players still going at it at age 40 inspired me,” Howard shared in his retirement statement.

For fans, the Above the Rim interview provides a window into what Howard was seeking as his career wound down. His partnership with Amy Luciani to fill the void left by the hard legs of the NBA has also shattered. However, as the legal battle with Luciani intensifies, it appears the peace Howard sought in his post-basketball life remains just out of reach.